MP350 Classical Mechanics

Solutions Problem Set 1

1. With the lagrangian

L(q, q,
t) =

m
(1 + q 2 )q2 cos(q t) ,
2

(1.1)

we get
L
m
= q2 (2q) + sin(q t) = mq q2 + sin(q t)
q
2
L
= m(1 + q 2 )q
q
d L
= m(1 + q 2 )
q + mq(2q)

q = m(1 + q 2 )
q + 2mq q2
dt q

(1.2)
(1.3)
(1.4)

This gives the EulerLagrange equation

L
d L
=
dt q
q
2
2
m(1 + q )
q + mq q sin(q t) = 0 .

(1.5)
(1.6)

2. (a) Here we have a system with just a single degree of freedom, and we will use
to describe this degree of freedom. We must therefore express r, z, r,
z in
the lagrangian in terms of :
r = a ,

z = b2 ,

r = a ,

z = 2b .

(2.1)

The lagrangian then becomes

m 2
r + r2 2 + z 2 mgz
2


m 2 2
=
a + a2 2 2 + 4b2 2 2 mgb2
2


m 2
=
a + (a2 + 4b2 )2 2 mgb2 .
2

L=T V =

(2.2)

(b) The EulerLagrange equation is

d L L

= 0,
dt

(2.3)

with
L
= m(a2 + 4b2 ) 2 2mgb ,

L
= m a2 + (a2 + 4b2 )2



d L
= m a2 + (a2 + 4b2 )2 + 2m(a2 + 4b2 ) 2 .
dt
Inserting (2.4) and (2.6) into (2.3), we find


a2 + (a2 + 4b2 )2 + (a2 + 4b2 ) 2 + 2gb = 0 .

(2.4)
(2.5)
(2.6)

(2.7)

3. (a) First we note that

z = a(x2 + y 2 ) = a(r2 cos2 + r2 sin2 ) = ar2 .

(3.1)

Using the product rule, we then find

x = r cos r sin
y = r sin + r cos
z = 2arr

=
=
=

x 2 = r 2 cos2 + r2 2 sin2 2rr cos sin

y 2 = r 2 cos2 + r2 2 sin2 + 2rr cos sin
z 2 = ra2 r2 r 2 .

Using this, we get

1
1
L = T V = m(x 2 + y 2 + z 2 ) m 2 (x2 + y 2 + z 2 )
2
2
1
1
2
2 2
2 2 2
= m(r + r + 4a r r ) m 2 (r2 + a2 r4 ) .
2
2

(3.2)

(b) Here we have two degrees of freedom, r and . The -equation is

L
d
d L
=0
= mr2 = mr2 + 2mrr =

dt
dt

r + 2r = 0 . (3.3)

The r-equation is given by

L
r
L
r
d L
dt r
d L L

dt r
r

= 4ma2 rr 2 + mr2 m 2 (r + 2a2 r3 )

(3.4)

= mr + 4ma2 r2 r

(3.5)

= m
r + 4ma2 r2 r + 8ma2 rr 2

(3.6)

= m(1 + 4a2 r2 )
r + 4ma2 rr 2 mr2 + m 2 r(1 + 2a2 r2 ) = 0

(1 + 4a2 r2 )
r + 4a2 rr 2 r2 + 2 r(1 + 2a2 r2 ) = 0 .

(3.7)
(3.8)